Abstract:The glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3)/SHAGGY-like kinases are serine/threonine protein kinases involved in a variety of biological processes.In this study,nine GSK3-like genes (OsGSK1-9) were identified in rice,and they are distributed on six chromosomes,and the distribution pattern is related to the chromosomal block duplication events in rice.The OsGSK proteins can be classified into four subgroups.The expression patterns of OsGSK genes were investigated in various tissues and organs of rice and in the seedlings treated with phytohormones and abiotic stresses.The results suggest that most of OsGSK genes have high expression level in the whole life cycle,and they are responsive not only to different phytohormones (such as abscisic acid,auxin,and brassinosteroid) but also to drought and salt stresses,implying that OsGSK genes may have important roles in development and stress responses in rice.